Costa
Rica is a tropical country situated between 8 and 11 degrees above
the equator. It has only two seasons: dry and green. The dry season
with very little rain is generally between late December and April
and the green or wet season lasts the rest of the year - May through
November and still offers an average of about 5 hours of daily
sunshine. The Caribbean coast doesen't have this extended dry
weather and stays green all year round and due to the humidity,
tends to be a little oppressive sometimes. The Central Mountainous
Region is more temperate.

Temperatures
vary little between seasons. The main influence on temperature
is altitude. San José at 1150m (3772ft) has a climate which
the locals refer to as the "eternal Spring". It has
simply delightful weather all year around! Average temperature
ranges in San Jose are from 14 to 24 degrees Celsius (57 to 75
degrees Fahrenheit) in December to 17 to 27 degrees Celsius (63
to 81 degrees Fahrenheit) in May. The coasts are much hotter,
with the Caribbean averaging 21°C (70°F) at night and
over 30°C (86°F) during the day. The Pacific side is a
few degrees warmer still, but the humidity is generally less,
so it tends to be more comfortable.

The
Northern Pacific Region is referred to as the "Gold Coast"
and has an abundance of large resort hotels because of the drier
and sunnier climate. It is also referred to as the "Guanacaste
Area", along with the greener, because of more rainfall,
of the Central Pacific Region. You can be quite comfortable in
the lowlands weather of either side if you dress minimally, don't
exercise too much, and limit your exposure to the midday, intense
tropical sun. Don't forget to bring your suntan lotion (with sun
block protection) and enjoy!